“Augur” describes a key-moment in the relationship between two cousins in a lost village of Portugal. It’s a film of extremes, the fragility and the strength. Tadeu is faced with a dilemma: to save the breeding bull that provides his income or to save his cousin, who is impaired and dependent, and who complicates his existence. The nostalgic atmosphere, a hallmark of the previous works of David Doutel and Vasco Sá, remains, however the duo of filmmakers consecrates a new dimension to Augur. It is a fascinating exercise of aesthetics, of light, with beautiful chromatic textures given by the excellent properties of the oil painting on glass technique.The counterpoint to this quasi-dreamlike visual sophistication is the sound work, very close to hyper-realism, almost as if it was direct sound. “Augur” is an intimate reflection about Man facing ethics, family and death, and the third incursion of David Doutel and Vasco Sá in direction (after “Soot”, in 2014, and “The Shoemaker”, in 2011), therefore making a hat-trick in Curtas Vila do Conde, where they received the Best Direction award with their previous film “Soot”. (SR)